


An easy mission they said

by Kimtiny



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Sibling Relationship, a very big romance toward the end, some hc past for dash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24234724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimtiny/pseuds/Kimtiny
Summary: The team red has an other mission, easy mission. NOPEThey end up kidnapping Dash Haber, and he has to accept the fact he will never get back to VILE
Relationships: Dash Haber/Zack
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One shot in 3 chapter because it was extremely long.  
> (reference for my oc will be posted on my tumblr @kimtiny)

Shadow-san sat next to Carmen. “What is it for today?” he asked the boy on the screen.

Since VILE’s headmasters destroyed the school and worked from God knows where, the assignments of the effective were saturated. So the team red could have more time to take a break, they were taking it easy and slow. Ivy and Zack quickly adapted to the pace, but Shadow-san wasn’t. He always demanded to Player 2 to 3 times a day if there was nothing new. Carmen found out that making Shadow-san do grocery shopping, training and planning new missions wasn’t enough to make him relax for even a minute. She was convinced that he was half sleeping.  
But having an elder always looking up for everything was relaxing her shoulder from the worry she usually had. 

“A plane from Europe will arrive in the airport of New York, apparently VILE is trying to reach for a rare ruby.” Player explained. 

“They called their best gem seller.” Carmen looked at Shadow-san. 

“The Williams… Which means Countess Cleo is making the deal.” He frowned. 

As long as he remembered, the Williams had the greatest bond with Countess Cleo. Even as a normal effective, he never saw Cleo so relaxed than when she was with her friends the Williams. Mr Williams was always dressed the cleaned way possible, expensive suits made with the most soft materials Shadow-san ever touched. Even if Mr Williams was most of the time a rude and fierce man; he had a soft behavior when he was in a good day, which wasn’t often. Shadow-san never saw Mme Williams, he only heard about her. About how beautiful she was, how precious she was ect… Even if they seemed to be right persons, Shadow-san knew that they liked the danger of fraud; black market and manipulation.

Player searched more into the files he decrypted earlier, as Carmen looked at him do. Ivy and Zack arrived close to them and looked at the computer. The siblings approached the moments they heard about a rare gem. 

Player huffed. “The ruby won’t be transported by a nobody but Williams’ daughter.”

Carmen looked at Shadow-san, the man sighed. “Lady K, she must be 18 now. As far as I remember her parents were never letting her alone and someone was babysitting her.” 

“You think that’ll be the case this time?” Carmen asked. 

“No idea.” He admitted. “She’s a terror, and I’m not sure if that changed…”

Lady K often was with her father, she liked Countess Cleo a lot. But not because the Countess was nice, no. Lady K grew up in a family that always used what they had to have more, she was always assigned a effective to take care of her. After only one night, the effective were so stressed that Cleo had to give them a week of vacation.  
The teacher knew very well how Lady K was, but Shadow-san always assumed that she was amused to see how the child could drive crazy an other graduated. As for the Williams, they always insisted that their daughter was a crazy maniac that was imature and needed constant surveyance. Shadow-san tried multiple time with the other teacher to keep Lady K with them, and she always was an angel when they weren’t constantly on her back; which always ended up by Mr Williams yelling at them. 

“Red, you can be at New York in 2 hours. The plane of Lady K will arrive at 4pm, which leave you time to build up a plan.” 

Carmen nodded, already having an idea of what to do.  
She smiled and stood up. This seemed like an easy mission. They arrive, localize the ruby, steal it from the child’s hands and quickly escape.  
Quickly they were all in direction of the airport for their mission.  
Carmen was looking at information PLayer sent about the ruby they had to steal. 

Zack was currently playing with a little ball filled with sand, passing it hand to hand. Ivy sat down in front of him and they started playing in silence. 

“So, what’s so important about that ruby anyway?” Zack asked.

“Yeah, ruby… That’s pretty common. Why would VILE find it necessary?” Ivy asked looking at Carmen. But this 2 second of inattention made the sand ball land on her cheek, Ivy let out a pain cry and threw the ball roughly at Zack.  
The guy just protected his face with his arms and laughed.

Carmen smiled softly. “This ruby is particular. A ruby like this should be in a museum for its particular color and shape.” she explained.

The ruby was sure red like a common ruby, but under the light the color was shining from blue to orange, depending on the inclination. It was too, a perfect flat sphere, never was shaped by any human hands. It was only one of the few like this, VILE could easily sell it millions more than the price they bought it during Countess Cleo’s party. 

Zack huffed, he didn’t want to participate at one of these parties anymore. He started listing everything he disliked the last time he had participated at one, which was obviously when he was called by the name of ‘Duke’. He listed that wearing a suit was uncomfortable, the fake mask he had to wear was terrible, the food could hardly be qualified at food…

“We know you didn’t enjoyed your time…” Carmen sighed still smiling. “But I told you to not open the door, Duke.” 

Ivy laughed as Zack just grunted. “But guys, the worst was not that they literally served a million of egg fish in a bowl!” He made a face at the memory. “But it was that this guy was staring at me all the dawn time!” 

Zack shivered remembering that guy just glaring at all he was doing during the dinner. Zack was extremely nervous about it, when he wasn't usually so caring about what other people could think of his behavior; the fact that Carmen was counting on him to succeed and that dude mocking him was truly uncomfortable for him! He hated being judged and mocked that way, and the passive aggressive tone that guy was using just made him very humiliated.  
He was ashamed to think that, but Countess Cleo really saved his life on that. She was very sweet with him, and even if he quickly noticed that she was pushing the other guy to give Zack her patience, which didn’t help to make the dude much nicer; he could have ran away if she wasn’t here. 

“Next time we say something, listen.” Ivy noted.

“Anyway, I ain’t doing that again!”

“No need to.” Shadow-san cut him. “The seller might be part of VILE, she’s only 18 and has no training of fighting.”

Carmen smiled. “It would be like stealing a lollipop out of a child’s mouth.”

“But the lollipop is a ruby!” Ivy winked at Zack. 

The guy seemed to relax at this. 

\--

At 4pm, the whole team was ready. Carmen found a spot to spy on the people that will go out of the William’s plane after Player indicated her where it will land.  
Shadow-san was with her, looking around for anyone that could bother them. Zack and Ivy were in position not far or backup.  
A black limousine was parked where the plane should land, fancy. Carmen predicted that Countess Cleo was personally waiting for Lady K in this car, and maybe Dash Haber was with her. 

“Now, we wait…” Carmen said. 

After a good amount of minutes, a small plane landed exactly on the spot Player indicated. The plane looked like a private jet, it was entire white with some blue stripes on the back of teh machine. The doors of the limousine opened, revealing Dash Haber as he stepped outside. Countess Cleo didn’t seem to be with him.  
Dash stepped quickly to the plane as the stairs were pushed to the door of the plane by some employee of VILE. Carmen put her binocular and informed the team to be ready. Dash seemed very stressed, he was chewing on his bottom lip and tapping the back of his right foot on the ground. 

The door opened, a tall woman made her way down the stairs, followed by a smaller man. Both were looking neat and clean, their chin up. The woman had a white suit, with some shines on it; her eyes were almost close revealing a perfect natural make up. The man was wearing a similar suit but holding close an orange backpack, the handles both being on his left arm. Carmen noted that the backpack was looking very used and had some doodles on it.

“I though the parents weren’t present.” Player said surprised. Carmen agreed with him and looked at Shadow-san.

“It’s not them…” The elder groaned. 

“They are going toward Dash… Player.” Carmen said, not needing to give proper instruction.

“On it!” The kid said and made the team listen closer to whatever Dash and the two adults will say.

Carmen made a sign to everyone to keep it down so they could hear. Zack and Ivy still approached the scene being very curious. Zack groaned as he noticed that Dash Haber was the guy that liked so much to stare at him. 

The tall woman stepped closer to Dash Haber, and stopped 4 feet away from the younger man. “You are the assistant of the Countess?” She asked, looking down at him. 

Dash answered by nodding firmly. “I will be personally escorting Lady K to her room and then to the selling place.” He said, having a fierce tone even if his body was showing the tension he had.

“I think we found the babysitter.” Ivy mocked. 

Shadow-san smirked at this but kept focus. 

The tall woman nodded and moved away from Dash, looking up the door as a small girl was making her way out. She had short brown hair and a very pale skin, she wasn’t wearing any fancy dress or suit but a way too big Hermes shirt with only two little wing in the back, and jeans. She was wearing big headset that she immediately put around her neck as she saw Dash. Lady K slowly made her was down huffing.  
Haber tried a little smile at her, but she didn’t returned it and simply took the orange backpack from the man.

“Stop.” Carmen said. “Player, look at her necklace.” She zoomed on it with her binoculars. 

“It’s the ruby!” Player said. 

“If she’s having it on her, it will be more complicated.” Carmen bit her lips. “We will probably have to steal it when she and Dash are both asleep.” 

Shadow-san took a time to think but was interrupted by the conversation between Dash Haber and the child. 

“You can call me Dash Haber.” Dash said politely. “I will take care of you during the time of the selling.” 

“I know, I know.” The girl said irritated. “My father still think I am too immature to take care of myself...” She sighed. 

Dash looked around embarrassed. Carmen frowned, feeling what the girl meant. After all she knew the same situation. 

“Hear me out.” Lady K said roughly. “You have to make sure all my desire comes true or no ruby.” 

“Hum, I-” Dash bit his lip confused.

“The hat, I want it.” She said. 

Carmen was surprised how rough the girl was being suddenly, blackmailing was common to her but never from a person looking so young and innocent. Shadow-san huffed softly as he was expecting it. He knew the girl wasn’t interested by having a hat, as she probably didn’t know that it wasn’t only part of Haber fashion. 

“My hat?” Dash asked, not sure if he should give a weapon in her hands. Countess Cleo said that the girl could be dangerous if not handled well. She said things like maniac, kleptoman, unstable and others. 

“Yes. Give it or I go back in the plane.” Lady K said seeming serious enough to make Dash more nervous.

Dash Haber wasn’t used of being stepped on by someone else than Countess Cleo. If he didn’t give the small child his hat he would have failed his assignment. He looked away, thinking for a good moment, before taking off his hat and giving it to Lady K. The girl smiled and put the hat on her head. The hat was of course too big for her, she was forced to pull it up so she could see where she was heading. Dash knew she would quickly get bored about it, but if she discovered it was a harmful weapon. Anyway, he could get it back when he wanted to.  
Lady K went in the car, but then turned to Dash that was following her

“I know it’s your job and all but… I’m gonna make your life a living hell.” She smiled. 

Dash and the red team frowned. The Countess’ assistant sighed stressely and entered the limousine. Soon the back car rolled away.

Carmen turned away and put her gadget back in her coat. “We know enough.” She said still disturbed by what she just heard and saw. 

“So… If I understood well, Dash is the babysitter.” Player said. Carmen hummed to agree. 

Zack sat up. “This girl is crazy! I kinda feel bad for him…” 

Shadow-san groaned. “It’s the cost of working for VILE. Let’s just concentrate on the ruby.” 

Player nodded “So what’s the plan, Red?” 

Carmen sighed and sat up, trying to not think about the girl but about the mission. “Player, you find where they are going. Me and Shadow-san will steal the ruby from Lady K while she sleeps, and if Dash is awake we could take him.” She looked at Shadow-san that nodded in agreement. “Then we ran to the car and Zack drive us away, should be easy.” 

“Okay, Red. I know where they are heading. A small hotel out of the big city, I send you the address.” Player said.

\--

Carmen was looking at the screen of what the drone was showing her. The other member of the team could tell she was feeling off.  
Carmen couldn’t stop comparing herself to Lady K, she grew up in a similar situation. Being without full liberty was something VILE taught her too well. 

“That will be good, Carmen.” Shadow-san put a hand on her shoulder making Carmen smile.

“There, take that to release your stress.” Zack smiled offering the sand ball he was playing with earlier. 

Carmen thanked him and played with the ball, noting that it was good to release a bit of stress and she would probably steal it. Zack just chuckled at that.

Dash sat down exhausted of the afternoon. Lady K was on his back all the time, making more and more requests. Even Countess Cleo wasn’t that rude with him. She was of course, but the girl was draining his ressources.  
But he finally managed to satisfy her enough so she would leave him alone. She laid down in bed, saying she was asleep. Dash suggested for her to put some pajamas but she only replied with a groan, so he didn’t insist.  
Dash took off his coat when he was feeling tired, he didn’t want to lay in bed because he had a bad feelings of being watched. Dash had a big paranoïa, that saved him more than once. But sometimes he didn’t need to feel this paranoïd, and it really was bothering him and the persons around him. But that often amused Countess Cleo to see how scared her henchman could get when a situation wasn’t 100 °/ under control.  
Dash checked again outside the windows and then sat down in front of the Lady’s bed. She already turned off the light for the night, and Dash just sat here to rest. 

He didn’t notice he fell asleep until a scream woke him up. He turned on the light and saw Lady K hugging her pillow close, she looked at him scared.

“She stole the ruby!” She yelled at him. 

Dash Haber didn’t take long to understand that Carmen Sandiego was behind that. He grabbed his hat and went out the window and to the roof. He saw Carmen standing up with her red coat and hat. She wasn’t moving an inch, Dash growled seeing how she was mocking him. He quickly climbed on the roof of the hotel, taking care to say to the girl he was taking care of to not move and wait for him. The lady didn’t have more choice but nodding.  
Dash was soon running toward Carmen, throwing his hat trimmed with sharp spikes. Sandiego easily avoided it and started running and jumping roof to roof. She knew that if Dash was a good runner, he wasn’t good to jump and climb. The jumps would quickly become too dangerous for him and he will give up the poursuit.  
Dash Haber ran after her for a good moment, he often threw his hat at her without touching the woman. Carmen could thank her good reflex because this weapon was extremely dangerous, if the spikes where to touch her she could bleed to death.

“How are you doing, Red?” Player asked. “Shadow-san is already at the van with the ruby.” 

“I’m still running, Dash really doesn’t wanna give up.” She groaned. “But don’t worry, even if he catch me I could beat him myself.” 

This running game continued for longer than Carmen predicted. Dash probably had more training for this assignment. She cursed, trying to find a way to make him give up quickly.

“Why isn’t he done yet?!” She cursed to herself and jumped again. She turned to see Dash jumping two or three roofs away from her. The jump he made was particularly dangerous, even with this determination Haber couldn’t make it.  
Or she would help him with that. 

Carmen felt the sand ball Zack gave her earlier, and there came an idea. The ball sure will take the Dash stress away.  
Haber jumped to her, he sure felt something wrong with the fact that she wasn’t moving. In half a second he felt a particular hard thing hit him right on the forehead. The knock made him fall down and hit the back of his head on the roof where he jumped. Dash ended up unconscious on the ground, in the back of the garden of some random person.  
Carmen smiled satisfied until she realized something wrong. She jumped down and to him before realising that Dash Haber was bleeding from the skull.  
She should save and heal him but it meant capturing Dash, meaning that he would have to stay with the team. Because VILE would erase his memory like they did to Gray. Even if she didn’t like him, no one deserved to forget a good amount of their life. Leaving him, even with some aid could only make his situation worst; he could even die from that. Carmen couldn’t leave him, she didn’t have any other choice!

“Red! Red!” Carmen looked up as she heard Player calling. “Lady K is coming to you! Go to the van.” 

“I’m coming-” She said but Player could tell by her voice something was off, he wanted to say something but Carmen cut the communication.

She cut her coat a sleeve, it hurt her but she could buy herself a new one; when she couldn’t by another Dash Haber. After tying up his injury she grabbed him on he shoulders. The guy was lighter than she expected, but she wasn’t to complain. Zack drove to her area and stopped the car so she could catch up.  
Ivy opened the back of the van. Carmen didn’t hesitated and jumped in with Dash. Shadow-san noticed Lady K running toward the van, yelling some things they couldn’t understand. He turned to Carmen and helped her lay Dash’s body on the floor.

“Carmen, what does that mean?” Shadow-san worried. He noticed her missing sleeve around Haber’s head and her freaked out expression.

“The ruby.” Carmen asked and sighed in release when Ivy showed it. “I’m sorry guys, I panicked because Haber was in death danger-” She said, feeling like crying.

“Why didn’t you leave him on the street?” Ivy asked trying to be gentle as how Carmen was behaving. 

“I couldn’t! He could have died!” Carmen yelled. 

“Okay… Okay, Carm calm down…” Ivy put a hand on her shoulder. 

Carmen pulled her hat and coat off her, and sat on the back of the van before restore the communication with Player. Shadow-san located any tracer Dash might have on him and smashed them down in his fist. He looked at the younger thief sniffing softly. 

Carmen hummed, pulling her arms around her. “Maybe, we could make him part of the team? He’s not that bad.” She smiled unsure. 

“He’s arrogant.” Ivy sighed.

“Loyal to death to VILE.” Shadow-san replied. 

“He’s a terrible guy!” Zack said. 

“He wouldn’t hesitate one moment to betray us.” Shadow-san said.

“Guys, guys. Okay we cannot trust him… Yet!” She said soon getting back to normal. “All effective of VILE have a story, and believe me they don’t always have the choice of being with VILE. All of them can be good guys, and we can help them.” Carmen smiled. “For example, you Shadow-san. You work with us, and you were the last I was imagining joining. All of them made choice they can regret, and are now stuck.” 

Shadow-san looked away. 

“But, Carm-” Ivy started. 

Shadow-san cut her. “Alright, we can try. And Lady K probably told the professor already. So we don’t have choice but keep him.”

Even if the red-hair siblings argued with them about that. The decision was already made. Carmen hugged Sadow-san, happy he agreed with her. The former teacher smiled softly and hugged back. 

\--

Back to San Francisco, Dash got the treatment he needed to recover. It wasn’t as big as Carmen expected so they didn’t need to go to a doctor. For now Haber was put in a room and locked here to rest. Often one of the member of the team was checking on him. At first only Carmen and Shadow-san where taking care of him, but with more discussion the red haired siblings started to feel more comfortable with Dash being here, especially Zack. Zack started to feel a bond with the sleeping guy, even if he was still complaining. Shadow-san soon noticed that Zack was doing cooking more than often, but he didn’t ask about it.  
One day, all the team was resting in front of a movie. Carmen was feeling herself fall asleep when a scream of help came from upstairs. The team stopped the movie and immediately ran to Dash’s room. Shadow-san pushed the kids away and opened the door slowly.  
They found Dash holding a lamp in his hands, looking scared shitless. The older man approached him calmly and opened his mouth to talk before he had to avoid a hit from Dash.

“WHERE AM I?!” He yelled. 

“You are at our GHQ, put that down.” Shadow-san calmly said.

“Free me! Now! I won’t speak about anything!” Dash yelled again.

The older man sighed and attacked Dash. He quickly put the guy down and threw the lamp away from his hands, after days of sleep Dash had trouble getting on his full capacity. The older man pulled away to stand in front of the door so Dash couldn’t run away. 

“Dash let us explain…” Carmen tried, walking to him, but Dash threw himself on her, she quickly avoided his fist and pushed him away without hurting him. 

Dash huffed and before he could re-enter the fray, Shadow-san grabbed the young man by the collar and pulled him close, Dash had to pull his hands on his former teacher’s chest in an attempt to pull away. 

“Listen now!” Shadow-san almost yelled, making everyone in the room froze. “You are captured. It means that even if you can go back to Countess Cleo, she will erase your memory and throw you away!” He was shaking the guy while speaking so his words were hitting. “VILE don’t care what you’ve done for them! They don’t care, and will erase everything from your mind!” Dash couldn’t move or speak, he just looked at Shadow-san eyes killing him inside. “If it wasn’t for Carmen, you would be dead in the back of a garden, all alone. We give you a chance to start a new life! Take it or die.” He said.

Carmen was used of Shadow-san being cold and distant, but that kind of speaking was really out of character for him. She could see he was meaning every words, and it scared her. She looked at Dash that lost some colour, his legs were slightly trembling. Shadow-san let go of him.  
Haber stood on his feet for a moment before sitting down the ground. Shadow-san left the room, warning to not forget to close the door.  
Carmen was still moved by what Shadow-san said and slowly reached to Dash, she put a hand on his shoulder but he slapped it away and growled some words. 

Carmen pulled away from him and stepped back, she closed the door behind her. Leaving Dash shallow the situation he was in.


	2. Chapter 2

Dash didn’t dare to try to run away, where would he go anyway? Shadow-san was right about the situation, if he went back to VILE his memory would be erased. He had confused feelings about it, there’s things he wanted so badly to forget but he didn’t know what was it like to actually forget years of his own existence.   
He worked for VILE for 5 years now, 5 years that literally changed him. Countess Cleo took him under her wings, he he dared to say that, when he graduated. He always believed it was because of his fashion sense. Dash always saw her as a mother figure, but he never thought one second his feelings were returned by her.   
Most of the time, she was treating him like a servant, and he was letting her do. She could show affection, but it was extremely rare. Dash had accepted the rude behavior of the Countess for long now, and wasn’t trying to change that.   
When Shadow-san was calming Dash’s behavior, the younger man noticed a too familiar face for his taste, the Duke… He never believed this guy was a Duke, and during the night this faker was at the Countess’ table, he tried so bad to unmask him. But he failed. Now he was sure that first, this guys was obviously not a duke and secondly this guy worked with Carmen Sandiego. If it wasn’t for the charm he had, Dash would hate him.

He looked at the door when he heard two knock, soon the said red hair guy entered. 

“Room service!” He joked, but Dash didn’t even smile.

“Duke.” He said coldly. Of course it couldn’t be someone else to give him lunch, Dash rolled his eyes. “If I can call you that.” He finally hissed.

“Nah! Call me Zack” The guy smiled, way too much enjoying his time for Dash’s taste. “Meal of the day: Omelette stuffed with cheese on a pork bed.” Zack took an english accent and smirked at Dash at the end of the sentence. 

Dash frowned, he could feel that the red haired guy prepared it. “Are you mocking me?!” 

“That’s just fair pay for the treatment I had at the Countess’ dinner.” Zack smiled and put the plate, that was just a cheese omelette with a slice of ham. 

Dash huffed, he silently started to eat, being too hungry to complain about the food. It was very far from what he usually ate with the Countess, but it was good for an empty stomach. While eating, he wondered if for only a moment the Countess could worry about him… She wasn’t the type to get attached to people, and Dash followed her on that. He always tried to mimic her, sometimes on accident. He just found her so gorgeous, fabulous; he wanted to be exactly like her and to feel her affection upon anyone else’s.   
If she could see him right now, eating hungrily a meal like this, what would she think? Dash sighed as he finished, he felt really mediocre right now. Of course the Countess didn’t care about him, like Shadow-san said, even if he could come back she would throw him away.

Zack stayed in the room, watching Haber eat. He soon noticed the lost expression the other guy was showing, and even if he didn’t disliked him any less, he felt pity for him. As soon as Dash was done, Zack hummed making the other’s rude expression come back and look at him. 

“Are you okay…?” Zack asked sincerely worried now. “Carmen told us a lot about VILE, it’s not the best place to be…” 

Dash sat on the bed and smiled softly. “I can’t complain as much as other people. I was sleeping in silk.” He said chin up. His fierce behavior changed to a confused one as Zack sat next to him. The red hair was smiling softly then sighed.

“I have to apologize.” Zack said still smiling a bit, and Dash frowned deeply. His mind started working fast. Why would the Duke apologize?! As Dash understood, it was Carmen who took him here, or Shadow-san. And Dash haven’t been the sweetest with anyone laterly, a lot because he was locked here. But he still didn’t see where that was all Duke’s fault! 

“Shadow-san told us how Cleo use to treat you like junk sometimes. And at the dinner with her I used that, but I feel that I shouldn’t have and-” Zack turned to Dash and stopped talking as he saw how the other was staring at him. 

Zack remembered how Dash used to stare at him at the dinner, a mix of jealousy and disgust, that made him so uncomfortable. There, it wasn’t the same look at all. First of all, Dash had still slept for days and his hair were a mess, his clothes weren’t as neat as the last time he was them. Zack couldn’t lie to himself that he absolutely wanted to mess the hair more, as they looked so soft and untangled even like that. Then Dash was staring at him with confusion, and mostly fear. Zack smiled embarrassed, not knowing what to do.

Dash pinched his lips together. “Was it Carmen Sandiego that asked you to…” He didn’t dare to finish his sentence but still pulled a bit away from the red hair. He knew someone asked him to say that, just so Dash could feel better, never someone would be that nice with him if it wasn’t for their own profit.   
He never cared before, himself wasn’t used of being nice for other reason than his business, more like Countess’ business. Her words were always in his mind, ‘speak well, Haber.’, ‘Don’t refuse courting, Haber.’, ‘Make yourself little, Haber.’   
He didn’t care. Yeah, he always heard that, so he was used of it. Even if he wanted so bad for Countess Cleo to see him as a her rich friends, she would never. 

Zack noticed how Dash stopped himself and looked down at the ground without a word. He looked at him for a good couple of minute before hesitating to touch him or not. After all, he didn’t know how the other could react since both of them knew well the dislike they felt for each other. Though, he took a time to examine the other guy once again. Dash had ice blue eyes, Zack could almost see an arabesque in them. The brunette passed a hand in his hair and looked up. 

“You don’t have to be like that, I have nothing to give you.” Dash frowned and looked at Zack straight in the eyes. That sudden change disturbed the other and Dash could see it, he decided to take full advantage of it.  
Dash pulled a hand on Zack’s shoulder, pushing him slightly. He then but his two knees on the bed a learned on Zack with a broken smile. The action was too slow for Zack to grow too worried, but too fast for him to pull away.   
“Listen here, Zack.” Dash breathed. “I saw a lot of behavior like you, and I know exactly what you want. But me alive I will never even give anything to you, no matter how nice you can sound with me.”   
Zack opened his mouth, confused and worried for what Dash meant but the older guy shut him with his fingers. “You guys took me away from Countess Cleo, so I don’t have any business to give you all. And especially not you!” Dash finished by huffing. 

Zack looked at Dash with wile eyes, he stared at the other’s face confused, his leg tapping lightly on the floor. He didn’t say a word, but the look in his eyes were enough to make Dash realize something was wrong. He pulled away from the Red hair and sat up, coughing a little in embarrassment. Zack sat up chuckling a bit out of reflex. 

“I… I really don’t know what you imagine… B-But I promise I just wanted to be cool with you. Like you’re staying here it’s better to get along.” Zack shrugged. “What is that you though I wanted?” He finally asked. 

Dash realized his misjudgement, he quickly starred away. So the Duke really didn’t want anything… Dash frowned, of course! He wasn’t a member of VILE and most of all he wasn’t a rich guy! Carmen didn’t save Dash just because she could use him, it must be the same for rest of the gang… 

“Ah, nothing.” Dash bit his eyes, feeling his face heating up.

“You can tell me. Y’know, when I feel upset I always go to tell my sister, and then I feel better.” Zack smiled. Dash could feel how the red hair meant it and for a minute he relaxed. 

Dash rubbed his tight, trying to erase the small smile rom his face and to calm the heat of his cheek. He chuckled. “It’s just that I forgot for a moment you weren’t with VILE…”

Zack raised his bows. “Oh, I get it. You used to have other people talk sweet to have something from you.” 

Dash chuckled, oh Gosh. He just noticed how sweet Zack actually was, and the memory of him started to float in Dash’s mind. Dash was so focus on destroying the Duke’s cover that he didn’t take the time to actually look at him; Zack had this adorable clumsy behavior. Dash bit his bottom lip trying desperately to stop smiling, last time he was like this it ended up wrong or him. Dash couldn’t have a crush, not again! He forbid himself to feel it anymore, even if he believed Zack was better than his last boyfriend but still, Dash couldn’t be safe like that.   
He soon took a deep breath and sighed loudly. 

“I had some affair with men after I graduated, for Countess Cleo… So I thought…” He said with a little smile. 

“God no!” Zack laughed. Dash kept his expression even if it hurt him a little. “Don’t worry, no one here will use you like that. You’re not in VILE anymore.” Zack stood up and took the empty plate. 

Dash looked at the red haired go away, Zack closed and locked the door. The brunette cursed and laid down the bed, Gosh, Zack was too cute to be real. He turned trying to convince himself it’s all because of the emotion, and that it would soon go away.

\--

Carmen took a deep breath, standing in front of the door. She didn’t know Dash much and it stressed her a lot. She wanted to be nice with him, because she believed he was a good man under all his arrogance.   
Zack told her what Dash admitted, and she felt really bad for him. Cleo wasn’t the easy kind and she wasn’t satisfied if a task wasn’t perfect. And she was too, the kind to punish severely.   
Carmen couldn’t stop thinking about what Dash may or may not have come through, she shivered at the worst idea that came in her mind. The young woman sighed again, Zack said how Dash reacted so it proved that he wouldn’t try anything again, right? She shook her head and knocked the door before unlocking it to enter. 

Dash sat up as he saw the door open, and was a bit disappointed to see Carmen. But not to see what she was holding. Carmen had in her arms what seemed to be clothes and washing product. The girl smiled softly at him. 

“You may want to take a shower, sorry we didn’t make shopping for you so Zack gives you some clothes he doesn’t wear.” Carmen said happily. “Though we have some extra shampoo and soap only for you.” 

Dash grabbed the stuff from her hands with a soft thank. He put the soap and shampoo away to look at the clothes.  
Zack had a pretty simple fashion sense, actually there was only jersey from Boston’s baseball team and some under shirts. He noticed the jeans wouldn’t right fit him, but he didn’t say anything about it, deciding to just keep the pants he had on right now. Carmen took some underwear too, and Dash couldn’t help but feel flutered when he noticed it.  
Dash choose himself a jersey and undershirt, he imagined how he would look with these on and didn’t quite like it. When he graduated, he asked Countess Cleo if she could have him other clothes, and she gave him, or more like choose what was better for him. His wardrobe was entirely her choice, until Dash learned what suited him better. Countess liked how he dressed, she even once complimented him about that, it was Dash’s dearest memory. Too bad his outfit got torn away after a fight with some gangster, the Countess never was more disappointed by him than this day.   
Dash knew he had to force himself to stop thinking about he opinion about anything he was doing. But he couldn’t help wonder what she would think, it was a bad habit. 

Carmen led him to a bathroom, warning that he couldn’t run away as the window was too small for any human to go through, and she would keep the door. Dash nodded in silence and just entered the room.   
The bathroom was smaller than the one he used to clean himself, he groaned. Dash put the clothes next to the sink and took a time to look at himself. He opened wide his eyes as he saw himself in the mirror.   
His usually neat hair were dirty and tangled up with a bandage around his head; his skin was paler and his had two big dark circles around the eyes. He gasped and pulled his face in water, trying to gain back color. He took some soap and cleaned his face with before pulling it under water again. He took a fabric next to him and mopped up his face, he stopped for a moment as he noticed the fabric has an odor. He pulled away and saw that he took Zacks cloth to wipe off the water. Dash felt his heart jumping and face burning, he quickly put away the shirt, took off his earing and bandage to go in the shower. He realized with showering that his wound wasn’t so bad and he wouldn’t need an other bandage. 

Carmen was sitting, back against the door. Dash was taking quite a time in that, she often heard groan and whine from the guy, what a diva.   
After 20 minutes or so, she heard the hair blower. And after 5 minutes the door opened, she stood up immediately when she heard him step by.   
Dash was frowning, clearly not happy with the clothes. 

She looked at him, trying to not laugh. “Suits you.” 

“No.” Dash groaned, even if he looked way better, it was very off to see him wear that type of clothing. 

Carmen chuckled. Dash was way thinner than her friend and so the clothes looked very weird on him. Dash passed a hand in his hair, starting to feel embarrassed by her looking at him head to toe.   
He was used of being stared at, and liked it most of the time. Tho he wasn’t wearing the last Gucci collection or any other fashionable thing; he was wearing an old outfit, a jersey that probably was in the back of a cabinet and have a strain of God know what. Carmen made a sign for him to follow her, and he did sighing.   
He would spent the day in the blank room once again, laying on bed and watching the ceiling. 

Carmen explained that they had a job to do, and wouldn’t be back before late. She gave him some papers and art supply they found, as long with books. Dash asked for a computer, but Carmen refused.   
He felt a bit frustrated that she wasn’t letting him access to internet, even after the effort he made to be nice; and the fact he didn’t tried to escape yet! But when he explained that he could be trusted, Carmen shook her head and walked away, not giving him a proper answer. She only locked the door and wished him a good afternoon.

\--

Zack drove everyone to the place they had their mission. Carmen and Ivy were talking in the back of the van about some TV show they started; it was good to hear a conversation like this, mostly from Carmen. It was rare when she relaxed and allowed herself to think about some vain things of life, instead of VILE all the time.   
Even if he didn’t hate her talking about her past with VILE, he always worried she might be stuck on that forever without telling it outloud. After all she gave herself the job to stop all operation of VILE, at least most of them. 

Shadow-san put a hand in front of him, and Zack slowed down the car before stopping it. The whole team looked at the road, but there was nothing. 

“Sorry, I thought I saw something.” Shadow-san said. 

“It’s okay, Shadow-san.” Carmen said and rubbed his shoulder before sitting down again. 

Zack smiled, and and asked Shadow-san to open the gloves compartiment where he could find CDs. 

“Gloves compartiment, why is it named like that when no one wears gloves anymore.” Shadow-san smiled at Zack. 

The younger man smiled wide before laughing, it was not the best joke but the only fact that Shadow-san made it was enough. Zack admired the older man, he admired him like one admired their dad. He never knew his father, the sibling’s mother always told them that he dies when they were 5. All they knew about him is that he was in the army and his name, their mom never said more.  
Shadow-san was often serious, intelligent, and very caring for the team. Often asking Player if he didn’t have school and that spending too much time in front of computer was bad for him. Which player always answered that he was homeschooled and that he had parents to tell him that.   
Zack started to have lessons of fighting with Shadow-san, once a week the master was teaching the siblings how to fight better. Ivy was way better than Zack, always beating him in their ‘week-end fight’. Zack knew Shadow-san was teaching her more things and making her perfect in the technicles she already knew; but he was patient with Zack not being very coordinated with his own body.  
He taught origami to him, and all that Zack was capable to do was simple fish and crane, the other was still too complicated for him. But he liked origami, and he mostly liked to do crane.   
Shadow-san told him that if he could make 1000 for May, he could make a wish; a Japanese legend Zack wanted so bad to do. Zack was so obsessed with it that he was making crane with every piece of paper he found.

Soon they arrived at the place of the mission, the team went out the car. Before everyone separated, Carmen and Player gave the instructions. All that Zack had to do was waiting in the car until they left. So that left him time for cranes. 

\--

Dash didn’t want to stay in this room forever, he took some pins in the bathroom that he could use to pick the door. The door wasn’t easy but he managed to unlock it after 5 to 10 minutes.   
He walked through the corridor, opening some doors. The first one he opened was a simple room with black and white furniture, he entered to examine it, and found a lot of origami crane on the desk, all with different papers. He soon understood he was in his former teacher’s bedroom, but the cranes were too rough to be his do.   
Dash respectfully touched nothing in the room and closed the door as he left. He soon went in the next room, he saw two bed, very messy. He cringed before seeing the signature shirt of Zack, his heart jumped. 

He knew he should touch anything, but it was too tempting. The brunette bit his lip and walked to Zack’s bed, he sat down the bed and took the shirt in his hand.   
The shirt was cold, probably here since the morning, but he still buried his face in it to take a deep breath of Zack’s odor. Oh, he hated himself right now, it was very embarrassing and shameful; mostly because he was falling for a guy he didn’t even knew much.   
He hugged the cloth firmly and sighed. He could mess around this room, no one could notice. He stayed in Zack bed for some hours, looking in his stuff. Mostly daydreaming about a potential relationship he knew wouldn’t happen.   
Last time he was in puppy love like this, he got the biggest rejection ever. The guy was a bit older than him, an already an effective of VILE before Dash graduated.   
They started to have assignments together, and it was as real love at first sight for Dash. But when he finally confessed, sure that the feeling was mutual; the guy laughed at his face. Not a figuration, his partner in assignments laughed saying Dash was an idiot and other insult like that.   
Dash never cried more than that, but the good thing out of this is that Countess Cleo defended Dash and scrowled Dr Bellum; because apparently it was her idea to make Dash work with the other guy.

Ironically, Dash’s best support on that difficult phase was the guy he detested the most.   
Dash shook his head and sighed, he needed to get out.

\--

Team red came home exhausted of the day. The mission was way heavier than expected.   
Carmen laid down the couch with a groan, she still succeeded but had a back pain because of how El Topo squeezed her when he caught the woman. Shadow-san sat down and gently pet her head. 

“Well, this wasn’t easy but I know what could cheer you up.” Zack said smiling. “There’s a new restaurant that opened about a week ago, we could dine here?” 

Ivy smiled at her brother, she knew that Zack wanted the whole team to have a great time, and a fancy dinner wouldn’t be a bad idea. She read online about the restaurant; it was a 1950 american diner with waitress in roller skate. There was even a karaoke spot where they could sing, like they did in Japan.  
She sat with Carmen, about to agree with Zack. But Player called them on the Pc, Carmen sat up and took the computer. 

“Bad news guys.” He said. “I examined the ruby and it’s a fake one.” 

The whole team exclaimed at the same time in surprise. How could a ruby like this be ever reproduced?! 

\--

Dash have been hiding in the stairs since the team red came home. He spent his day walking around the house bored, and finally did a bit of cleaning.   
He first cleaned the room of the two siblings, trying hard to not daydream about Zack having any sweet action toward him, but failed. When the room was cleaned he then went in the kitchen, the living room and the training room; putting everything where it was supposed to be. He even was frustrated that the team red didn’t notice it.   
When he heard the younger member say the ruby was fake, he couldn’t hide anymore.

Dash ran to the team and placed himself beside Zack and in the back of Carmen, yelling in confusion. “The ruby is a fake one?!”

Shadow-san stood up to him. He frowned, knowing that one day the brunette would escape from his room. “You get out the room but why are you still here?” He said calmly. 

Dash frowned. “I have nowhere to go.” He said lowly. 

Carmen frowned sadly to him, but didn’t mind him free if he wasn’t going to join VILE anymore. And the fact that the ruby was fake seemed more important right now.   
Player explained how he discovered it. Carmen took the ruby from it’s hide and put it on the table, she laid on Shadow-san. 

Ivy took the ruby. “What are we going to do? We cannot throw it away…” She said concerned. 

Carmen sighed loudly, not in the state to think about it. She just said she wanted to go to bed, and everyone should do the same. Ivy nodded as Carmen held onto Shadow-san.   
The older man held her, and helped her up to go to bed. 

Zack frowned and went after them. Dash looked at him go, pinching his lips together as his Duke went away, it took a lot on him to be so close without feeling fluttered and chuckling like an idiot. Ivy went upstairs to care on her friend.   
Team red soon disappeared altogether upstairs, Dash found himself stupid all alone. He sat in front of the now closed computer, next to it was the ruby. He recognized the ruby was the one Lady K was wearing when she arrived, he took it in his hand to examine it. 

The imitation was perfect, from size to weight, from color to form. Though it was fake, even Dash’s detector couldn’t have noticed it, he noted that the boy Carmen Sandiego was working with spent one week and more to discover it was fake. Now, Dash wondered why it was fake? Why would Countess Cleo’s best sellers and friends would fraud her?   
He couldn’t think about a lot of option. The Williams made a fake one because they knew about Carmen Sandiego; and so they wanted her to steal the wrong one so the real one was for the Countess. Or they wanted to scamp her, making sure she wouldn’t realize before they could have all communication cut with VILE.  
Now, what really was eating him was if Lady K knew about it or no. Because, if she didn’t that would mean she was more cruel than Dash imagined. She would send him after Sandiego, knowing that was vain, and letting him get captured. What a little daughter of a hoe. 

“What are you thinking about?” Dash head right in his ear. 

He felt his whole body jump, with his heart that started to beat faster. Zack was learning over his shoulder, Dash didn’t notice him before the red haired guy talked. The brunette moved away, feeling a nervous laugh coming out from him. 

Zack noticed he startled the other, so he just chuckled to relax him and sat down on the couch. “Sorry I scared you.” 

Dash hummed, not wanting to say anything stupid at this moment. He was alone with Zack, while the other were in bed. He pulled his hands, still preciously holding the ruby, to his chin in a try to seem relaxed.   
Zack just sat here, sharing a comfortable silence with the other. He looked at Dash holding the ruby in his fingers. 

Zack wasn’t good with people, he had trouble understanding some of their feelings if they were subtle. It was very rare that he was subtle himself, but he could be very delicate with people when needed. Of course, when he understood that the situation needed a delicate approach.   
Right now, Zack was very lost about how to deal with the former VILE effective. He believed that he scratched the arrogance from Dash by being nice with him, but he never thought the guy could be so quiet. He couldn’t know what the guy was thinking and that started to make him extremely anxious.   
Zack started to stare around, searching a subject for a small talk; his eye landed on the shirt Dash was wearing. It was an old jersey with Red Sox old logo from 1924, it was the first thing Zack brough to himself. Seeing this shirt made him nostalgic. 

“Red Sox, nice choice.” He smirked. Dash looked up and frowned a bit, pinching his lips together. 

“There was only these, not a lot of choice.” He huffed. 

Zack only smiled, he knew that since he got interested into his city’s sport, he wouldn’t wear anything else. “So, there’s this new restaurant, wanna dine with me?”

Dash’s frowned turned into a small smile, that he tried to hide. Zack invited him to a restaurant, to eat together. Knowing the others won’t come, would that make it a date?!   
Dash coughed, to hide the embarrassed and fluttered brush he was feeling on his face. That would be his first date in years, he didn’t really know how date were working with Zack but with a little of chance he could get on with him! 

The brunette took a small breath, grinning oddly as he was trying to hide his excitement. Only to make a face looking like he was cringing. “As a date?” He said softly. 

Zack was surprised by this answer, but thinking about it he didn’t date someone in a while. He didn’t even recall his last date, and he didn’t know if he even dated a guy before. Anyway he shrugged and answered with a ‘yes’.


	3. Chapter 3

Dash walked slowly next to Zack, not able to stop himself from smiling. The red haired guy told him to keep the fake ruby, as it was suiting him or something. Dash didn’t really listened after that.   
Zack just led him in the streets, he was extremely slow for Dash. With years of working close to the Countess, Dash learned to walk extremely fast to catch up with the tall lady. He just got used of it and walked fast, plus being under a lot of pressure all the time stressed him and he walked fast because of it too. So having to walk next to Zack was very disturbing.   
Zack wasn’t very smaller than Dash but was walking very slow, relaxed walk. Soon they found the restaurant and Zack held the door for Dash. The brunette smiled at this small but meaningful attention. 

“Hey! Boston guy!” Zack and Dash heard. 

The barista waved at them both, Zack smiled and led Dash toward her. The woman was an Irish girl that moved here for study. Zack met her in a coffee shop not far and they both had a great time. She didn’t know about team red stuff, but was a great friend of them, but mostly Zack because he was outdoor most of the time when they weren’t preparing a mission.  
Dash looked at her, with a bit of jealousy. The girl was slim and tall, with freckles all over her body and a red suit, which was missing the jacket tho.

Zack and the barista made a bro check. “What are you doing here, man?” She asked then noticed Dash looking at her oddly. “And who is that?” She almost purred. 

“My name is Dash!” He answered with a fierce tone. “I am Zack’s date for tonight.” 

The girl only chuckled. “Cool bro. Choose a sit, I’ll send you someone.”

Zack felt a bit of tension and grabbed Dash’s shirt to lead him as most away from his friend. They sat down at a table on the corner of the restaurant.   
Zack noticed immediately the stare Dash was giving when he was speaking the the barista, because it was the same he gave at Zack when they were dining with Cleo. He never imagined Dash could act this way because of a simple date, he started to get nervous at the idea that Dash was taking it over the top. 

Dash was looking through the menus, there wasn’t anything rafiné in this restaurant. He kinda regretted accepting the invitation, if it wasn’t to have more time with Zack, never ever he would have walked in this place. It wasn’t the kind of restaurant Countess Cleo would go with him.   
Usually there was at least 3 stars on the edifice, and they couldn’t enter without proper clothing. Countess Cleo was very picky on things, and when Dash was choosing a restaurant, he had a little amount of time to find the perfect place that had to fit the ambiance of her night. Usually he was cheating by sneaking in her room.   
Not weird things, he was only checking on what dress she wanted to wear for the night, and he based the evening on this.   
But this restaurant was nothing to get a lot of preparation from, everyone was wearing everyday life clothes. The music was an old rock n roll Dash didn’t cared enough to know which band it was. 

He set his choice on what seemed the healthier meal, and looked up his menus. Only to meet eyes with Zack. The guy smiled softly and said something Dash didn’t understood. He felt a giggle getting out but bit his lip to fight it. 

“You choose?” A waiter came and asked. 

Dash hummed and nodded. “I will have a plate of steak and homemade potato. For the steak I’ll take a rare almost very rare, please.” 

Dash wasn’t a fan of bloody meat, but Countess Cleo forced him to eat them this way so much that it grew on him. She was saying that people eating meat medium rare were savage that didn’t know how to cook, and that she felt like chewing a shoe. Dash just accepted the fact that he had to eat meat like this, and not other way. It was rare, but not impossible. 

Zack took an extra hamburger, as Dash expected. His duke wasn’t a man from upper class. And Dash believed he couldn’t be changed. 

“So, tell me about yourself.” Zack said, putting his chin in his hand. 

Dash couldn’t help a smile, and a blush. “What exactly do you wanna know?” He looked away. 

“Carmen told me that everyone in VILE has a story, what’s yours?” He asked. 

Dash looked at him, no one ever asked about his past before VILE, the only one that knew some of his past were Countess Cleo and some of his close friends before graduation. Even if they could use their real name, speaking about past was not advised.   
He pinched his lips together, not sure if he should really reveal some of his most private things to a member of Carmen Sandiego’s team, his paranoia told him that they could use his past against him. Dash wanted to trust Zack more than anything… But it was hard. 

“It’s okay.” Zack said softly and grabbed Dash’s hand, making the other look up. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Dash frowned, holding Zack’s hand back. Gosh, Zack had a warm hand. Dash bit his lip has he felt the red hair’s thumb tracing circles on his palme, making him relax.   
The brunette sighed. 

“No… It’s okay, but you have to promise to not talk about it to anyone.” Dash said seriously. 

Zack pulled his right hand in the air and the other on his chest, promising to Dash. The other giggled at this, and hid his mouth to calm himself. Zack laughed with him, not knowing how he could flutter Dash. 

“Alright…” Dash hummed and started his story. “I never knew my parents, they abandoned me in an orphanage; all I know about my family is that I have a twin somewhere in the world. I know it because of a letter they put in the basket I was as a baby, I always have it in my coat to remember that somewhere my brother is probably thinking about me…” 

Dash and Zack frowned together. Dash had abandoned his coat when he ran after Sandiego, all he wished is that no one throw the letter away. 

“So.” He hummed. “I grew up in a good manners orphanage, in Austria. But I never got to know the country because at the age of 5, rich people ‘adopted’ me and bringed me to America. I was more their servant, they could show as a throphee to their friends. And that’s how I passed family to family until I was 17.” 

“That’s terrible.” Zack noted. “Those people just used you to be a decoration?! Really?!” He seemed really angry about it, and Dash didn’t know if he was angry because of the situation he told or because it happened to his date. Dash forced himself to think the second option. 

In a shrug he continued his story. “That’s just how it was, and it never bothered me since I was fed and had a good place to sleep to. Anyway, at 17 I met the Countess. I was already a double player, since I was stealing most of the stuff from the family I was in and acted like an angel.” He smirked, not ashamed at all. “She caught me red handed, but instead of report it, she gave me a number and left me with what I stole.” 

“She gave you her number?” Zack asked, being more and more into the story. 

“Better! The number of the school, when I was 19 they got me from the house I was in and to the school of VILE.” He said. 

The waiter arrived at this moment to give both their meal. The waiter probably heard a bit of their story, but not knowing what they were talking about, they didn’t made a comment other than the regular ‘enjoy your meal’.   
Dash made sure the waiter wasn’t suspicious by staring at them for a good couple of minutes, paranoia forced him to. But he finally turned to his plate and started to eat quietly. 

\--

The evening was wonderful. Zack asked some question about Dash past, which he answered with pleasure. Then Zack talked about his own past, Boston, his sister.   
Dash loved to listen to him talk about things he liked, he felt guilty to not notice the shine in his eyes when he talked at first. He felt guilty that he has been too jealous and paranoid to notice how wonderful the guy really was. What he liked the most is when he talked about Ivy, Zack truly had a lot of admiration and love toward his older sister.   
Dash always wondered how it felt to have a sibling, and mostly how his life would be if he grew up with his twin. Maybe they could have been a great team like Zack and Ivy were.   
Dash Haber and his twin! That really was an idea he could never forget. 

But it is what it is, Dash never made so much effort into finding his long lost sibling because of VILE. And now that he didn’t have all the equipment he had with VILE, the mission was almost impossible. 

They soon finished their meal and talked some more, usually Dash would try to have more physical contact with the red hair but failed all is attempt.   
He soon felt his paranoia come back, as he felt eyes on him. He looked around, concentrating to see anything suspicious but nothing seemed strange.   
But after some second of just listening to Zack talking about baseball, his paranoia came back. And this time he saw who was watching him. 

A long, black silhouette was backing onto the wall, in front of the window, right next to the emergency exit. The small corridor, the figure was in, wasn’t lighted. Only the green exit panel was making light, Dash immediately knew who was standing here. After some minutes of eye contact, the silhouette smoothly exited the restaurant by the metalic door for emergency only.   
Dash pinched his lips and frowned, he excused himself to his Duke, saying he needed to use the restroom. Zack didn’t say anything and just nodded. 

Dash walked quickly to the emergency door and walked through it. He frowned as he tried to look around for the guy he saw. 

“Happy to see your not dead.” Dash heard and turned to the voice. 

“Neal.” He answered. 

Neal the eel, the guy he hated to most and ironically his best friend. They passed their graduation together, and even if they couldn’t stand each other, Dash didn’t remember any better memory without him.   
When Dash attracted Countess Cleo’s favors, Neal was Dr. Bellum’s precious little kid. Neal and Bellum’s relationship was totally a mother-son relationship.   
Before they graduated, Neal told him about his mother issues. Neal’s mother was an alcoholic that never really cared about her only son and throw him away the house at 18, when she wasn’t receiving help from the State. Dash was extremely jealous of their relationship, Dr. Bellum could seem crazy but she knew how to be soft and sweet to someone.   
She even tried to make Neal the eel take Shadow-san’s chair as a teacher, which failed for Dash’s pleasure. 

“What are you wearing?” Neal asked seeing the very strange outfit; at least for Dash.

“What are you doing here?” Dash hissed. 

“What a reception.” Neal chuckled. “Why do you think I’m here?” Dash didn’t answer and only looked at Neal with rage in his eyes. The taller guy sighed loudly. “The ruby around your neck has a tracer, my assignment was to take it back and if I found you it was a bonus.”

“Found me…” Dash exhaled, fearing the worst. 

He didn’t know if Neal knew what bringing Dash back to VILE meant. And he couldn’t know that the ruby was fake, could he?! Now, thinking about it. How could the little kid of Sandiego didn’t see the tracer?! 

“Yeah, man!” Neal exclaimed. “Countess Cleo has moved the sky to find you, and when the little girl said the ruby had a tracer we had a total win! I found the ruby, the Haber and the hideout of Carmen Sandiego!” 

Dash didn’t think about that, he couldn’t make them find the GHQ! He would lose his memory and Zack would be in danger at the same time! He had to find something to say and quick!

“Hah! You think!” He laughed at Neal. “Carmen Sandiego abandoned le in that lame place! They probably noticed the ruby was fake and that's why I have it with me.” 

“The ruby is fake?” Neal exclaimed again, frowning. 

Shit. Dash, you should think more before speaking!   
Dash sighed and grabbed Neal’s arm to make them sit by the water. The taller guy didn’t object and sat down, soon his tone changed as he noticed how Dash was acting.   
He knew that look too much. That was the look Dash had when he was failing assignment, and the look he had when that bastard broke his heart. 

Neal knew very well how Dash saw him, and he knew that the brunette hated him. Even if Neal had the same feelings, he wasn’t showing them the same way. Instead of pickering, he liked to mess with Dash like a big brother would do. In fact, he knew both of them cared to death about the other.   
The only assignment they had together was a mess, but Dash literally saved Neal’s life this day. Countess Cleo and Dr. Bellum agreed to never make Dash Haber and Neal the eel work together ever again, even if they were the only effective left.   
The day Neal saw the henchman run in the school, hiding his face from everyone was the day he started to really care about Dash. 

Haber have been on assignment with a guy for months, they couldn’t get splitted up for too long. Dash revealed to Neal his crush on the guy, after making him promise to not tell anyone. So when Dash got heartbroken by him, there was not turning back.   
Neal wasn’t violent, just a bit a player with everything. But this day was the most violent day of his life, even more violent than when his mother kicked him out of his own home.   
He confronted that guy, asking what was wrong with him, and when the other laughed at his face and insulted Dash; Neal snapped. 

The other effective around were cheering at first, liking the fight. Until blood was involved. They all tried their best to stop the massacre, but none could and most were injured after that. Only Coach Brunt could get the tall man out of the bastard.   
Neal was suspended for one week after that, he didn’t want to say a word about his action, the eel don’t break promise. After the suspension, he told everything to Dr. Bellum, the person he trusted the most. She answered by tapping his shoulder and smiling at him. When Dash heard about what happened he scowled Neal, but after letting all out. The black haired guy found himself holding a crying Dash in his arm.

It didn’t change that they still couldn’t stand each other, but they were closer than before. 

“What’s up, dude?” Neal asked. “What happened..?” 

Dash sighed. “The ruby is fake, I’m out of VILE and if I come back they will erase my memory. And I don’t want that…” 

“No they won’t.” Neal reassured. “Countess Cleo wouldn’t let that happen-”

“Countess Cleo don’t care about me, she never did, okay?!” He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t touch me with those slimy hands.” 

“What do you expect me to do? Lie?! Say you are dead?!” Neal chuckled with embarrassment. 

Dash looked up. “Yes! That’s it.” 

Neal felt the other grab his shoulder. He didn’t like where this was going.

\--

Dash entered the restaurant again, satisfied. But he couldn’t see his duke at their table, he sat down anyway and looked around. His anxiety grew, did Zack leave him alone? Was it all a trap?!   
He jumped when he heard Zack’s voice singing some pop rock song and turned around his chair, there he was singing at the karaoke. Dash relaxed and just listened to him; the red haired guy couldn’t quite sing right but he was having fun.   
Zack finished the song and everyone around started to cheer for another, even if karaoke wasn’t only for people with singing talent it was made for everyone to have fun. Zack accepted and sang again with two random person in the restaurant. 

Dash only smiled, even if it wasn’t the kind of party he liked to go, it was simple and fun. Well, it was only acceptable because Zack, his Duke, was here. 

After the 3rd song, Zack went back to Dash. He was sweating with exhaustion but grinning happily. 

“I’m tired, Zack. Can we go home?” Dash asked, taking Zack’s hand. 

He lied, he wasn’t tired at all. He just wanted to have some time in calm with Zack. The other nodded, and went to pay the meal. Dash couldn’t describe what he loved so much about Zack, but he gave up on the idea of not having a crush anymore, he was drowning in his own feelings and don't care anymore.  
When Zack paed, they both went out in the dark street, their only light being artificial now. They walked slowly, Dash felt relaxed now that he knew he wouldn’t be in danger because of VILE. 

“Thank you for this night, Duke.” Dash said softly when they arrived close to red team’s GHQ. 

Zack turned to him with a smile. “I’m flattered but ‘Zack’ is very enough.” 

Dash blushed, but wasn’t afraid to show it for some reason. “I like to call you like this.” He almost purred. 

Zack chuckled and felt Dash press their lips together, in a soft kiss. He panicked at first, his last kiss on the mouth was when he was 10! You don’t know how to do at this age, and he didn’t know how to do at his age neither. The red hair just closed his eyes and let Dash lead his movement.   
Their kiss was slow and sweet, their body approached and squeezed against each other in a hug. Dash could feel Zack’s heart beating as fast as his own, so cute.   
The brunette lead his date’s hand to his low back and gently brushed Zack’s hair, tangling his fingers in the ginger’s lock.   
Dash broke the kiss, even if he felt that Zack was against that.

“Want to go in my room?” He purred. 

Zack chuckled, hugging the other close. “You know, where I’m from we don’t do that kind of thing before at least the 4th date…” 

Dash hummed, understanding. He continued to play with the ginger hair. “But I’m not from Boston.” 

Zack pulled away and looked at him. They both laughed quietly and entered the house.

\--

Neal coughed, he has been turning in circles for 10 minutes now. He was holding his communicator in his hand for quite a time now, not knowing how to phrase what he had to say. 

“Okay eel, you can do it.” He assured himself and turned on the communicator. 

Countess Cleo and Dr. Bellum appeared on the screen, both sitting in Bellum’s laboratory in silence. Once they noticed Neal, they turned to him. 

“Neal! My dear agent, did you find it?” Dr. Bellum asked. 

Neal nodded and showed the ruby. “I got it, a man was wearing it, having no idea of what it was. I could steal it easily.” 

“What about Haber?! My henchman!” Cleo almost yelled. 

Dr. Bellum and Neal cringed a bit. 

“I asked people around, they only saw him jumping from a car and… I’m sorry Countess Cleo, all witnesses says he died some minutes after. I didn’t find his body, they probably burned it.” Neal swallowed dry. He didn’t like to lie, even less in front of his professor. 

Cleo and Bellum looked at him, shocked by his words. The countess thanked him and stopped the communication. Neal exhaled loudly, thinking about how Dash could repay him for that. 

\--

Countess Cleo frowned sadly, but she kept strong. It wasn’t the first time someone she was close to died, and that wouldn’t be the last time. She had to quickly process the loss of Haber.   
She felt guilty, she never was soft with him. And she knew it was risky to have him watch on the Williams’ daughter. Everything was her fault…

“You will need a new assistant.” A girl said from the other side of the table. Lady K was playing with an empty jar, looking straight in the Countess’ eyes. “Train me and I will be the best henchwoman you could ever dream off.” 

“Training will be intense… But okay, I hire you.” Countess left with Bellum. 

Lady K put on her headphone, grinning. Sure, she felt guilty for her babysitter’s death, she never behaved well and she knew what she was doing to people. But there was no time for regrets, she had a chance to escape the destiny her father have for her, she wouldn’t miss it.   
Sorry Mr. Haber, but your death wasn’t vain.


End file.
